5/16 - Self Settling on Itself p. 92

[Jundo]

I misread the title at first, and thought it said "Self Sitting on Itself" ...

... but maybe that would be a good title too!

Gassho, Jundo

[John]

In other words, without being tossed about my personal feelings and ideas, just returning to the life of my true self, without envying or being arrogant toward those around me, neither being self-deprecating nor competing with others, yet on the other hand not falling into the trap of laziness, negligence, carelessness - just manifesting that life of my self with all the vigour I have - here is where the glory of life comes forth and where the light of Buddha shines

Isn't this a great summary of how we should live our lives as practitioners of Zen? So different from our usual competitive mode of life. Unfortunately, those living in the world around us often force us, or try to force us by subtle means, to adopt their mode of living, and we often have to struggle to go against this tide,

Gassho,
John

[Tony-KY]

John wrote:


Isn't this a great summary of how we should live our lives as practitioners of Zen? So different from our usual competitive mode of life. Unfortunately, those living in the world around us often force us, or try to force us by subtle means, to adopt their mode of living, and we often have to struggle to go against this tide,


I think staying centered in self (that's where the "what-is" or "what-isn't" exists) in our practice is what attracted me to Zen in the first place. Because every other spiritual guide or marker for authenticity in our modern society has been absorbed into the 24/7 marketplace where belief and faith have become comodities.

I believe our practice develops a healthy perspective on the everyday barrage of messages that attempt to define our wants and ourselves.

Gassho, Tony

[lindabeekeeper]

I agree with John and Tony. This sums the section up nicely. I am intrigued by the thought of "manifesting that light of myself with all the vigor I have" p 97. Sometimes I feel that it takes a great deal of energy to follow the Buddha Way. I keep hammering away at it, then I get exhausted and slip up. Yet in this chapter, it sounds like the struggle, the competition for the violet to become a rose, is not the Way. The violet "manifests its own life force with all its might". Perhaps this does not take energy to accomplish?

Gassho,

Linda

[Tony-KY]

Linda wrote,

Yet in this chapter, it sounds like the struggle, the competition for the violet to become a rose, is not the Way. The violet "manifests its own life force with all its might". Perhaps this does not take energy to accomplish?


When I read this a "ding-ding-ding" went off in my head. I habitually see practice as an attempt to be someone else or be somewhere else. But, the non-goal is to be who I am and be where I am, and to see it for what it is and only for what it is. Perhaps the problem is that I'm using too much energy to accomplish something. Thanks for the insight :) .


Gassho, Tony

[Bansho]

Hi,


In other words, without being tossed about by personal feelings and ideas, just returning to the life of my true self, without envying or being arrogant toward those around me, neither being self-deprecating nor competing with others, yet on the other hand not falling into the trap of laziness, negligence, or carelessness - just manifesting that life of my self with all the vigor I have - here is where the glory of life comes forth and where the light of Buddha shines.

'Just manifesting that life of my self with all the vigor I have' - Yes, on the one hand just as simple as things can get - life realizing life though life. What else could there possibly be? On the other hand, a constant struggle, day by day, moment by moment. A lifelong Practice.

Gassho
Ken

[CinnamonGal]

Uchiyama's makes the point that a violet blooms for no personal purpose:


Just bringing forth flowers is its life.

Well, isn't it quite a personal purpose somehow? :lol: It ensures its own survival through spreading seeds. I find this particular example, poetic as it is, not to be very convincing for making this particular point. I guess I will have to come up with my own :roll:. We can say all we want about the world of nature but this too will be from our perspective and also just ideas, not facts. Surely, a flower does what a flower can do but on the other hand it doesn't have that many options.


just manifesting that life of myself with all the vigor I have

is a beautifl expression for what I guess I am trying to achieve by dropping all attempts at achieving anything? :roll:

For a while now I have not been able to kill small creeps that make their way into the apartment or that I find outside. I don't find them as repulsive as before feeling this same life force present in them. Who am I to say no to it just because I am scared or repulsed? Well, actually, I am none of those now, although this can be my first reaction. But then I wait a second, look at them and SEE them and the second reaction is that of making sure they go their way unharmed. Before, I never really let that second reaction show itself and could never act on it but acted on an impuls that can hardly be about self-preservation - nobody was attacking me.

Gassho,

Irina

[Gregor]

Gosh I'm so behind on this book. . . .

[John]

For a while now I have not been able to kill small creeps that make their way into the apartment or that I find outside. I don't find them as repulsive as before feeling this same life force present in them. Who am I to say no to it just because I am scared or repulsed? Well, actually, I am none of those now, although this can be my first reaction. But then I wait a second, look at them and SEE them and the second reaction is that of making sure they go their way unharmed. Before, I never really let that second reaction show itself and could never act on it but acted on an impuls that can hardly be about self-preservation - nobody was attacking me.



Yes, but big black spiders - I don't want them running over my face when I am in bed. :shock: I try to get them to run up a cone I make with newspaper and then throw them outside but they move too fast sometimes. :)

Gassho,
John